White suffered what we all think is a “minor” ankle sprain in the Falcons’ second preseason game, and the veteran wide receiver hasn’t been rushed back to say the least. At 32 years old, there’s really no need for White to be practicing on a daily basis, yet the hidden severity of the injury is what concerns most fans.

Falcons coach Mike Smith said on Thursday that White’s ankle sprain was not of the “high” variety — a high ankle sprain usually results in at least 6-8 weeks of missed time. Meanwhile, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff says the team is “hoping” for White to be back for Week 1 — there is clearly some confusion in ATL.

Believe it or not, the Falcons wide out hasn’t missed a single game since he was drafted into the NFL in the first round of the 2005 draft, meaning No. 84 has obviously played through some gruesome injuries in his eight-year career. However, the wide receiver position in particular has been hammered by injuries thus far this offseason and the tread on White’s tires might just be running thin.

The worst-case scenario is that Smith is bluffing about White’s high ankle sprain and Atlanta is forced to sit the four-time All-Pro once the games start to matter. Now, it will be important for Julio Jones owners to keep a close eye on White because if the ladder is injured for a bulk of the season, then Jones will emerge as a top-ten fantasy options in most leagues.